The Road Traffic Management Corporation said on Tuesday that private roadworthy testing centre staff were arrested for fraudulently clearing vehicles.
“Unroadworthy vehicles pose a major danger on the roads and contribute to a significant number of accidents,” the Corporation said in a statement.
The RTMC said the joint operation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit, the South African Police Service’s Organised Crime Unit and Gauteng Traffic’s Compliance Unit bust four vehicle examiners at the testing station in Claysville outside Tembisa in Gauteng.
“This came after investigations uncovered a scam in which the identity document of a 64-year-old bed-ridden man was allegedly used to fraudulently process roadworthy certificates for hundreds of vehicles.”
RTMC said it was believed that the vehicles were never physically examined before the certificates were issued.
“Many motorists who visited the centre with the hope of obtaining fraudulent documents yesterday were disappointed to discover that the centre was temporarily closed.”
RTMC said the four suspects were expected to appear in court on Wednesday on charges of corruption and fraud.
“These arrests bring the number of suspects arrested in different private roadworthy centres to about 20 in the last three months.”
The RTMC added that they were working with other law enforcement agencies to minimise the number of unroadworthy vehicles on the roads in a concerted effort to make South African roads safe.
More arrests are expected.
